Resilient tire.



H.. WBLLSTBAD.

RBSILIENT TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 24, 190s.

" Patented Feb. 1'7, 1914.v

g sums-SHEET 1.

JMW

H. WELLSTEAD.

l RESI'LIENT TIRE.

APPLIGATION FILED oGT. 24, 190s.

1,087,474. i Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

* ,Y 2 SHEETS-#SHEET 24 novably HENRY WELLSTEAD, 0F EIVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR-OF ONE-HALF TO M. PAUL NOYES, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RESILIEN'I TIRE. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

' vPatented Feb.17, 1914.

Application filed October 24, 1908. Serial No. 459,307.

To all /rzm/z 'it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY IVELLSTEAD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of' Cook, and State of Illinois. hafe invented certain new and useful I1- provements in Resilient Tires, a specification.

The invention relates to resilient cushion tires for vehicle Wheels,vand seeks to provide a simple and effective construction of' l the filler Evanston, county of terchangeably of which the following is may be readily removed the casing, and so that may be substituted for or used inwith the inner tube of pneumatic tires ot' the usual form.v The filler, bet'ore it is placed in position, is slightly larger in cross section, than the space inclosed by the tire casing When-the latter is placed on the wheel rim, so that the filler is compressed when placed in 'position and the the resilient filler or insertedwithin ends of the transverse cells or openings arel that type in which a filler of relatively soft, j effectively closed by the walls of the casing resilient rubber or rubber composition is rearranged Within and protected by a tire casing of tough, flexible material, and the invention consists in thefeatures of improvement hereinafter set forth, illustrated `in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed,V out in the appepded.

claim. A. y Tires comprisingcasings and resilient rubber fillers; have iheretofore been employed, and yfs'uch fillers have beenof cellu- .lar'qfconstruction in order to reduce,y the Weight of` the tire. But, for the most part, the cells or openings have extended longitudinally through the tire and pressure on the tire is transmitted laterally so that it is unduly flatteed-- In other cases,

the filler is made of sections or enlarged portions spaced apart circuinferentially around the tire, so that the tire is of different stiffness at different points.

In accordance with the present invention, the filler of resilient rubber or rubber com'- pound extends throughout the tire casing,

and is preferably a. continuous, endless or annular strip With rows of transverse openings that are so staggered and arranged that the resilience and stiffness of the tire is substantially the same at all points, and pressure vupon the tire is transmitted in circumferential direction.

- about the transverse openings forms a conwhich effectively distributes tr .cumf'erential of the tire so that 'no small nected series of superposed staggered arches,

e strain c1rsection at any given time is required to withstand all the pressure on the tire. The tire casing is open along its inner periphery and is preferably of the so-called clencher type, the side portions of which are provided W-ith flanges for detachably engaging the hook flanges of the wheel rim so that The body ofthe fillerv the cells increases the resilience of the tire moreover, the pressure of the compressed filler against the casing aids in holding the latter in position on the Wheel rim.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a cross section of the Wheel rim and improved tire taken'on the line l--l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a partial., longitudinal section with a por tion of the/filler shown in elevation. Figs. 3; 4 and 5 are partial views in elevation of different modified forms of the filler.

The wheel rim l is of the usual clencher type and is providedwvith annular hook ianges Q at its edges. The tire casing 3 is of the, usual clencher typeis open along its inner periphery, tions 4 are provided near their edges with laterally projecting flanges 5 which detachably interlock with the hook flanges 2 of the Wheel rim. To resist Wear, the casing is formed of tough, flexible material -such as rubber with layers or plies of canvas, vulcanized therein. The tire case may be provided With any suitable form of tread 6.

The filler strip 7 is formed of relatively soft, resilient or elastic rubber or rubber' compound and extends through all portions of the tire casing and, as stated, it is preferably vulcanized in an annular mold and is endless. It is provided with a'number of roWs of transverse openings extending from side to side thereof. The form shown has two' rows 8 and 9 of transverse openings which are staggered or alternately arranged and, because of the annular form of the filler and to have the walls about the open- `ings of substantially the same thickness, the

inner row of openings 9 are smaller than the outer rovve of ippenings 8.

In placing e tire uponthe rim, the ller is inclosed within the casing and the latter is forced by suitable tools into place with its flanges 5 engaging the hook flanges 2 of the wheel rim. When unconfined, the filler 7 is larger incross section than the lspace within the casing when the latter is in position on the wheel, so `that, in forcing the casing into place, vthe filler will be compressed and the inner face of the casing brought to bear snugly upon all portions of the outer surface of the filler. The ends of the openings or cells 8 and 9 will also be effectively closed and the air thus entrapped and compressed in the cells will increase the resilience of the tire. Moreover, the com pressed iiller or core tends to expand and thereby press against the side ,portions 4 of the tire casing to firmly interlock the iianges- 5 of the tire casing with the hook flanges 2 of the wheel rim.

Preferably, the outer transverse openings or cells are formed near the central 4portion of the filler as shown in Figs. l, 2,3 and 4, so that the outer part of the' filler fits against allportions of the tread of the tire casing, while the inner -row of cells are formed at l the inner portion of the filler and are open at its inner periphery. The'outer row of cells may open upon the outer periphery .of the filler as Shown at 8 in Fig. ,5, but the arrangement shown in the other gures is prefer-red.

, Except for thetransverse cells or-openings, the body. of the filler is solid and is uniformly compressed and compactlj' iills all the space Within' the tire casing. The

staggered arrangement of the transverse from one arch to the other in circumferen-- tial direction and no small'portion of the tire is required tobear allthe strain at'any given moment. Unlike the 4ordinary pneumatic tire, the improved tire will not puncture or blow out.

The shape of the walls of the arches and of the openings 8 and 9 may vary from that shown in Fig. l.. Fig. 3, the outer row of transverse openings 8a are Akite-shaped and, in the form shown in Fig. 4:, the outer row are circular in section. The rows of staggered, transverse openings could be otherwise shaped without departure from the essentials of the invention, but the outer walls of theoells are preferably cylindrical as shown in Figs.' 2, 3 and t, and the form of the openings 8 and 9 of" Figs. l and 42, which are semi-circular in flanged side portions detaohably engaging In the form shown in cross section, is thought to be the most deslrable. f

the hook flanges of said rim, of a core of soft, resilient rubber arranged Within said casing and having an outer part ttingall portions of the inner face of the tread'of the casing and a flat, inner part resting upon said rim between the side portions of said easing, said casing having a number of rows of staggered, transverse air cells. extending through the core from side to side thereof and forming rows of superposed, staggered arches with the walls of the inner row resting` upon the wheel rim, said arches being arranged to transmit pressure on the tire in circumferential direction, said core being larger in cross-section, when unconiined, than the space Within' said casingv and the cross-sectional area of said core being substantially uniform throughout all portions thereof, said casing being arranged to close the ends-of said transverse openings and. entrapand compress the air in said open ings and uniformly compress said core, substantially as described.

l HENRY VVELLSTEA D; Witnesses:

HARRY L. CLAPP,

KATHARINE GERLACH.

@oplet et tinta patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addi-easing; the Commltioner et Patente.

' Washington, Dsc. 

